Posts by Sacha
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But John Armstrong is disillusioned (notable reversal in tone).
National's softening-up exercise was so unsubtle, voters felt they were being manipulated. They did not like being taken for a ride. They did not like being treated like fools.
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In short, voters are not stupid. The changes to KiwiSaver will make them rightly suspicious of what National has planned elsewhere.
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The Budget has displayed a degree of cynicism one would expect from a Government in its third term, not its first.
We were told for months by Bill English this was going to be the "Savings and Investment Budget". Yet English cut the Government contribution to KiwiSaver in half and then, to add insult to injury, expanded the tax on employer contributions to pension schemes to the lower rates of KiwiSaver.
Trying to argue black is white, the Government then claimed those in KiwiSaver would have more funds when they retire than would have been the case under current policy settings.
However,
Before the Budget, National's private polling is said to have shown its support dropping by a few percentage points. Unfortunately for Labour, the disaffected apparently parked themselves in the "don't knows" rather than shift its way.
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Fran O'Sullivan on why relying on rosy forecasts might nonetheless play well for National.
Key emphasises the tax cuts are here to stay and delineates National's policies from Labour's by arguing "we're into the politics of aspiration - my opponents are into the politics of envy".
However..
Labour's strategists know they have been handed a valuable wedge to exploit at the November election by arguing some of the Budget cuts may not have been necessary (at all) if the Key Government wasn't still borrowing so much to fund the tax cuts.
And she reckons they can win by being more National than National:
Where Labour will score is on hot-button issues such as the need to raise the age of entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation.
Many New Zealanders - including some National voters - are concerned that Key's obdurate opposition to this proposal will result in a big impost on younger generations.
Still, so long as the most important audience is reassured, eh.
Four hours later, the Prime Minister was across town strutting his stuff in front of an 800-strong top-drawer audience hosted by the influential Transtasman Business Circle. These power-brokers - who flew in from around New Zealand - are the ones who Key needs to ensure remain confident in the country's prospects.
The company chairmen, chief executives and investors and business people gave Key a good reception.
(channelling DPF's format, minus the "indeed")
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Hard News: Friday Fever, in reply to nzlemming,
mmmm, Dianne Swann
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OnPoint: Budget 2011: A Credible Path to…, in reply to SteveH,
No, but other places have fibre and that new technology hasn't been invented yet.
Urban Wi-fi and fibre backbones are driving availability of location-based mobile services including social AR and payments integration. That's just one example - and mostly it's about new business opportunities or connections rather than 'technology' per se - but if you want to remain unconvinced, be my guest.
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OnPoint: Budget 2011: A Credible Path to…, in reply to SteveH,
The last generational speed increase didn't produce any unforeseen technology
Are you seriously claiming that the jump from dial-up to basic broadband didn't enable any new services or businesses to develop?
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OnPoint: Budget 2011: A Credible Path to…, in reply to nzlemming,
We don't need HD video-conferencing - Skype or gTalk is really sufficient, though not wonderful
Not much use for more than two people. I'm talking group conferencing for project teams, that sort of thing. Hi-res gives you the ability to read facial expressions around the 'table'.
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OnPoint: Budget 2011: A Credible Path to…, in reply to SteveH,
Fibre is an incremental improvement, not an entirely new thing.
There are threshold effects where it behaves like a new thing. Ever try Youtube over dial-up?
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Hard News: Friday Fever, in reply to recordari,
backing music
fnnha
(now see what you've done)
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Hard News: Friday Fever, in reply to recordari,
Karaoke backing music
typin wth elbows hardr
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Hard News: Friday Fever, in reply to recordari,
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Moving a whole post down. Enterprising..